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unfocused-always · 8 months

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Chapter X: Nightmares

Summary: Our lovely cast learns that nightmares have more than one face.

A/N: Warning for past trauma references. And slightly suggestive beginning. But nothing too bad, I think. Well, except for Laito. Sorry, my boy

This whole house is a mess, Yui thought bitterly, rummaging through carboards in the kitchen in search of a tea container. Where are vegetables? Or rice? Or a single tea bag? The boiling kettle agreed with her with an ear-piercing whistle, and she hurried over to turn off the stove.

"Yo, Pancake, whatcha makin'?"

Immediately, fear snapped her spine straight. "Ayato-kun! Please stop sneaking up on me like that!"

The culprit in question made himself comfortable on the nearby chair, his elbows on the knees serving only one purpose: further reminding her that one reach of his hand and she was doomed. His lips curled in a mean smile. "I asked first, you know?"

"I'm trying to find tea," she explained patiently, giving up on her current cardboard. "Do you know where it is?"

"I don't mind telling you, but" why was there always but involved. "You'll need to beg for it."

She spun around so fast she could put professional ballet dancers to shame. Grasping a counter like it could give her the tiniest bit of support, she sputtered, "beg for it?!" Were her cheeks flaming?

"Hurry up, Pancake, I don't have all day."

That was cruel. Why was he doing that? "I- I can't do that," her protests fell on deaf ears. "And why are you calling me Pancake in the first place? That's horribly rude!"

Ayato tsked under his breath, annoyance creeping over his features. Her stomach sank. "Oi! Stop nagging at the great me!"

"In her defense, you picked on her first," hoarse from the doorway, and a second later, Misaki marched into the kitchen like a person with a clear purpose. Her goal became evident in the second when she pulled out a bottle of water and downed more than half of it in one go. Wiping her mouth clear, she waved hi to Yui. "What are you looking for?"

"Misaki-san," Yui greeted her politely, immediately grateful that someone had come to her aid. "I was looking for tea."

Ayato leaned back in his chair, balancing on the hind legs and throwing Misaki a rather unfriendly glare. "I'm surprised you can still talk after the screaming you put us through last night."

Misaki responded with an overly friendly smile, pulling out four tea bags from god knows where. Yui hastened to fish out mugs. "It must have been horrible," she looked at her compassionately, "it sounded like he was torturing you. Is there something I can do to help?"

The tea bag froze mid-dunk. Misaki looked from Ayato's shit-eating grin to Yui's worried expression. "No, I-" she sputtered, struggling for an explanation.

"Really, Stunky, what were you doing?"

“Are you okay, Misaki-san?” Compassion squeezed her heart. If the memories were enough to paralyze Misaki on the spot, she didn't even want to think what he put her through. She couldn't call her conscience clear since she left her on their mercy in the living room. And now this. Why couldn't she do anything to help any of them?

Yui made to touch her hand, but out of nowhere, Misaki snapped back to reality, finishing up with the tea. "Don't ask questions you don't want answers to," she muttered at Ayato, politely waving off Yui's worries. "I'm fine, don't worry about me. How's your neck?"

"Oh, it's healed," her hand automatically went to her previously damaged skin. She was healing faster these days. The more they bit her, the less time it took for her skin to heal. Although headaches were nearly killing her. She should ask for some supplements for blood loss. "Do you need help treating your wounds?"

"I think Pancake needs you to spell it out for her," Ayato barked a laugh, further unnerving Misaki.

"Spell what out? I- Stop making fun of me!" Yui felt her temper rising. Why was he always acting like an overgrown child?! She wasn't a clueless idiot! It's natural that you treat a vampire wound, right?! What was so funny to him?!

Misaki hid her face in the mug, holding the second one toward a window. "If you need to blame someone, blame him," her voice sounded like a curse.

Out of nowhere, Laito emerged from a thin air. Yui couldn't quite stifle a scream. Taking an offered mug, he leaned against a counter without a care in the world. "How long did you know I was there?" His left hand sneaked around Misaki's hip, but she made no move to throw him off, almost like she didn't notice it. Yui's hand clenched on the mug.

"The whole time," Ayato and Misaki replied in unison, shooting each other disgusted glares in the process. Yui's confusion only worsened.

"It is outrageous that you still haven't apologized," the voice from the doorway grew louder with each word. Yui flinched into herself when Kanato came storming into the kitchen. She barely dodged his hand as he flailed wildly, turning an accusatory finger at Misaki. "Do you have any idea what we had to endure last night?! We haven't gotten a brink of sleep!"

Slightly paler, Misaki moved to stand on the other side of Laito, effectively putting him first in the line of Kanato's fury. "I told you earlier it's his fault!" Her voice croaked, but she made her point clear, jabbing Laito in the shoulder. "For gods' sake, stop looking so smug!"

"And don't think I've forgotten about that door you closed in my face!" Kanato made to grab her, but she ducked further into the room.

Ayato evidently got bored with balancing on his chair and added snacking on small spicy balls to the mix. "You've closed the door on him? Wow, you really have a death wish."

"I had to do something because he," she pointed at Kanato, "wouldn't stop banging at the door," Misaki sounded close to tears. Yui felt a pang in her heart but couldn't reach her, with Kanato now grasping for a fork. "And he," she motioned to Laito, who was also making a move to grab her, "passed out dead for three hours and refused to help me!" That made him freeze.

With a shattering clang, Ayato's chair hit the floor. Yui jumped, spilling the tea on her hand in the chaos. The sting burned, so she quickly put it under cold water. Blinking back tears, she half turned to keep an eye on the redhead, who was now emerging from under the table. "One chick- One chick knocked you unconscious?" His words were barely recognizable through the wheezing laughter now shaking him. "You?" He choked out, "You, the master of arts? The self-proclaimed king of the bedroom?"

Laito finally captured Misaki's hand, running his nose down the vein of her wrist. "What can I say?" He murmured against her skin. "She was just the right kind of overwhelming."

"And YOU will be the right kind of DEAD!" Kanato screamed and lunged at them both.

Something twisted in Yui's stomach. Something dark slowly pooled inside her like black oil, leaving a burning aftertaste behind. Clutching her injured hand tightly, she glared at Laito, struggling to hold back Kanato's fork, and at Misaki, who didn't move to help him, instead slowly inched out of the kitchen. "Isn't it cozy?" She whispered to the room. Where was it coming from?

*8*

After a century or so, you start to notice that people can be divided into two simple categories. Predators and preys. Laito's personal favorites were, of course, the latter ones. The subgroups were slightly more complicated matter, but a person he was currently stalking was – by all rights – at the very bottom of the food chain. Unfortunately, fate, or rather their father, brought her to this manor.

Hunched over her desk, Yui scribbled with unbroken concentration, her brows furrowed like she was trying to prove Newton's equations. She was so oblivious, so defenseless to any possible harm. She must feel awfully cozy right now, he mused, making his way over to her without as much as a sliver of noise. Her typical 'threats' are probably bored out of their mind at school, but it's so mean of her to overlook me. A slow, sinister smile stretched over his lips. He'd have to punish her~

"And there, done!" Oh, sweet, innocent girl, just look behind you. "Now I only need to catch up on English, and I can finally get some sleep…" A quiet yawn graced his ears, temporarily overshadowing her calm, even heartbeat. It was strange. He wasn't hanging around her much, but the sound filled him with nostalgia. She couldn't be his former one-night-stand, could she?

"Ne, Bitch-chan, have we met before?" Yui's scream would do for a fine entertainment kick-off. Misaki was getting too used to him. She started sensing his presence, and sneaking up on her was getting more challenging by the day. She even moved her desk to sit with her back to the wall so she could keep an eye on the whole room. Her dedication was almost admirable. That one, on the other hand, was too easy.

"Laito-san, please," she whispered, clutching her heart, which was now pounding like a hummingbird's. "Don't enter unannounced."

"Oh, but they do it all the time," he waved her off, perching on the edge of her desk. "You didn't answer my question-" he caught her gaze, satisfaction pooling in his veins when she broke eye contact and shied into herself. "Have we met before?"

"Before?"

"Yes, before, before," he nodded, fully convinced it was making perfect sense. "Before you became our lovely housemate, you little idiot." She pursed her lips in a slight pout. A small crease formed between her eyebrows, and she opened her mouth to no doubt give him another earful. "So? Hurry up, or I'll have to punish you."

It was comical how fast her demeanor morphed from fear to slight annoyance to petrification. Pushing away from the desk, like she thought she could outrun him - please, her eyes darted to the door, betraying her next move. It was a miracle she was still alive, with footsteps that slow she couldn't even dream of escaping sleeping Shu. Yui crashed into his chest, and he let her fall on the floor.

"Bad girls don't deserve a safety net, you know?" He pitched in conversationally, crouching next to her cowering form. Tears already blurred her pink eyes, and he suspected any second now, she'd start begging.

"I'm- I'm sorry," she managed through trembles in her voice, "I'm sorry, I don't think we've met- please." Why was she backing off into a corner? "Please don't hurt me."

Wrapping his slender fingers around her ankle, he pulled, successfully putting an end to her little escapade. "Hm~ Think, Bitch-chan, are you sure we didn't share a sweaty, passionate night together? Your heartbeat calls to me, and it's oddly familiar, so I must have gotten a good listen at you- at your heart pumping frantically as I-"

"Don't say such nonsense!" Oh, she was a screamer, wasn't she? Blood rushed to her face, painting her cheeks scarlet, while all he did was tease her a little bit. Were they slacking off on her? Why was she still acting all high, mighty, and pure? It wasn't like Ayato at all.

Her smell, though, was weirdly intoxicating. Every corner of this little pink room nearly overflowed to a point where he couldn't sense fresh roses standing on her windowsill. Was his mind failing him? No, it's just this- unconsciously, he slid closer, his nose running along the prominent vein on her ankle. Her legs weren't much to look at. She was skinny at best, and constant blood-sucking indeed wasn't helping her figure, but with blood that quality, he was prepared to forgive her everything. It's so rich, incredible.

"Laito-san?" The higher he got on her leg, the more she shook against his hold. "Laito-san, please let me go. Please, please- I beg you, please let me go."

He was swallowing like crazy, his fangs throbbing with unquenched thirst. He wouldn't let her go. He couldn't. His throat burned like a wildfire was running uncontrolled, and it'd surely be his oh-so-sweet demise- unless he tasted this blood. "Ssh-," he whispered against her calf. "It's quite cute how you can beg for it unashamed~ I wonder what else you're hiding underneath," he wasn't paying any mind to a hand pushing at his shoulders. Her aghast gasp was nearly non-existent, just like her crying or pleads.

The pearl-white teeth pressed against her leg only strengthened her trashing, her survival instinct completely overshadowing any reason. She nearly impaled herself, but he wouldn't stop her little adventure. Tightening his grip, he ran his fangs along her vein, the smooth skin of her calf filling his mouth perfectly- and then he bit down, and it was like his whole world had shifted.

Her heavenly blood flooded his mouth as memories washed over him like a tsunami. The girl before him was gone, her blond hair replaced by long purple strands coiling on the floor. He grasped for purchase, but control slipped past his fingers just as the woman reached with a gloved hand to run a deceitfully gentle finger down his cheek.

"My sweet boy," her voice- her voice took on the same breathy edge he had heard time and time again. Her vivid green eyes were so full of life, staring at him from a half-lidded gaze. She smiled. The same seductive grin she'd passed down to him. "Did you miss me?"

No! He screamed, but no words passed his lips- He couldn't move, utterly paralyzed, unable to tear himself free of the blood that was now making bile rise in his throat. She is dead. He killed her- They killed her, Ayato ran her through with a sword, he – with his own hands – pushed her down the balcony, and Kanato- Kanato burned her body to ashes- She- She had to be dead. Had to be- Has to be dead-

Cold sweat broke over his skin, yet he felt like he was the one burnt alive- He couldn't feel his hands, couldn't hear anything but her laughter- Her heartbeat- Her sighs begging for more- Her voice telling him she loved another.

Was this room always this cold? The walls must have rotted down, as the water was running unbothered. Was it still night? There wasn't any sunlight down there, only cold, merciless stone, steel bars covered in rust and chains. He'd lost his voice ages ago, screaming at everyone, anyone, to free him. That old geezer working here for ages couldn't even look him in the eyes when he turned the key on him. Pathetic.

With a bitter taste plaguing his mouth, he realized he was the miserable one. Not the butler, but he, Sakamaki Laito, was the one rotting away in the dungeon cell. Because he once again did as she asked him to. Because for her, he was prepared to kill his father. He'd drive a sword a thousand times through his heart if that meant she could, for one second, be truly his. But this woman was always just outside his reach.

The prison bars cut his skin as he watched, his tears mixed with blood. He watched, transfixed. He watched, even though he wanted nothing more but to poke his eyes out with hot steel. He watched as she fucked Richter. He watched because she told him to. And he was a good boy for her. He could be good. Even if it killed him. Because he loved her more than his life. He was utterly disgusting.

He listened as her name fell between his uncle's rasps. Her precious name was tainted by his repulsive voice. Her sweet name, his salvation, his prayer- Her name- Cordelia.

"What the fuck are you doing?!"

He was flying through the room, colors flashing before his eyes. She disappeared again, but when did her memory leave him? Her smell, her taste, still fresh in his mouth. Was someone punching him? His head was thrown to the side, vision temporarily going blank- The pain grounded him back to the present, to the furious figure shaking him by the collar. Ayato?

"OI!" Another shake, less confident this time, "I asked you a question, damn it, answer me, you creep!"

He forced his lungs to expand, to take in some air, but the lingering scent nearly choked him. "Ayato-kun?" He muttered, the face of his brother coming into view. Those eyes captured him again, and his stomach sank like shackles closed anew on his ankles. "Don't tell me- you didn't notice?"

Why wasn't he punching him? Why did he have to look at him with a weirdly concerned expression? This whole farce was making him sick.

"Oi- What are you sputtering crap for? Didn't notice what?"

His feet hit the floor, and he had to lean heavily on the wall. Why were his nightmares always so realistic?

[Chapter IX] [Masterlist] [Chapter XI]

#diabolik lovers #sakamaki brothers #laito sakamaki #diabolik lovers laito #fanfic #oc #reader #anew #misaki #vampire #laito needs a hug #he doesn't get one yet #that's rough buddy

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